Adjustable watchcase for wrist watches



Aug. '15, 1939. F. s. MOODY 2,169,738

ADJUS'IABLE WATCHCASE FOR WRIST WATCHES Filed Jude 2, 195a 14 fiazagwPatented Aug. 15, 1939 2,169,738

UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFlCE ADJUSTABLE WATCHCASE FOR WRIST WATCHESFrank S. Moody, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 2, 1938, Serial No. 211,386

4 Claims. (Cl. 58-88) My invention relates to an assembly of a wristWrist, the two portions of the case snap together watch with a braceletby which a portion of the and are retained in position. Another featurewatch case forms an extension or foldable link of my invention is thatone of the latches funcassembly whereby the bracelet may be enlargedtions to a certain extent as a pivot in opening 5 to pass over the handand then when collapsed or and closing the watch case assembly. Thisper- 5 re-folded makes a snug fitting bracelet holding mits the oppositeend to be tilted upwardly in the wrist watch in place. With this type ofconthe procedure of unlatching the wrist watch and struction the bandforming the bracelet whether bracelet assembly for extension or infolding of chain or leather, is of the proper and desired these portionstogether.

length for the size of the wrist and the complete My invention isillustrated in connection with 10 enlargement and shortening of theassembly is the accompanying drawing, in which: through the medium ofthe watch case having Fig. 1 1s a perspective view showing the outsidethe foldable and hinged elements. of the watch case with the front andthe inner Considered in more detail the watch case may portions of thecase in their locked position and be oi somewhat the usual nature as toornaillustrating a portion of the bracelet chain. 15 mentation and witheither a curved or a fiat back Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section and maybe conto contact the wrist, the front of the case manisideredsubstantially on the section line 2-2 of iestly having the crystal forexposing the face of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, the watchthe watch and the back of the case is prefermovement or Works beingomitted and showing ably imperforate for contacting the wrist. The thefront and inner portion 01 the case separated. 20 watch case maytherefore be defined as having Fig. 3 is a transverse substantiallycentral seean inner and an outer portion, the inner portion tion showingthe front and inner portion of the being so much of the case as engagesthe wrist case in their nested position, the movement or and the outerportion the part carrying the watch works of the watch being omitted.movement with the watch face and crystal. Fig. l is a longitudinalsection substantially 25 Therefore a feature of my invention comprisesthe same as in Fig. 2 but showing the front and a folding or extensionlink providing a hinged inner portion of the case nested, the two endand extension connection between the inner and portions being shown andthe center portion outer portions of the watch case, the connectionomitted. of the link being such that the three elements, In my inventionI define the inner portion of 30 that is, the outer portion of the case,the link the case by the assembly numeral H. This has and the innerportion of the case, may be exan inside imperforate inner wall !2 whichis tended substantially into an approximate line or preferably concaveon its lower surface to conconrorming to the curvature around the hand.form approximately to the curvature of a per- This enables the assemblyto be slipped over sons wrist. There are two opposite sides l3 and thehand or to be removed and then when folded I l extending upwardly fromthe bottom. The and collapsed together the two parts are interside l3has a ledge l5 and an upwardly extendlocked. ing thin section [5. Theside it also has a Another feature of my invention resides in thesimilar ledge ll shown dotted in Fig. 2 with a latching or interlockingfeatures of the inner and thin upwardly extending portion 58. Both of 40outer portions of the watch case in that there are these thin portionsterminate in an upper edge snap fasteners operating on the principle ofnubs 9. The edge i8 is provided a notch 23 engaging with complementarykeepers or detents to accommodate the stem for winding the watch inwhich there is a complementary resilient movement as hereunder detailed.Both sides 5 mounting so that a proper pressure is developed also havean upwardly extending fin E! with a to hold the various parts in theirlocked or corner notch 22 terminating the edges 33 at one latchedposition when the assembly is in the foldend. This end of the case hasan end wall 23 and ed position for fitting on the wrist. Thus as the aninwardly extending lip 24 provided with an chain or wrist band of thebracelet has one end edge 25. There are a pair of cars 25 extendingattached to the inner portion of the case and the beyond the sides andthe ends having a perfora- 50 other end to the outer portion, theattachtion 2'? for a pintle for the chains or hands of the inents beingat opposite ends of the case, manibracelet as hereunder detailed. Theopposite end festly the nub and resilient keeper or detent asof theinner portion of the case has an upwardly must be at both ends of thewatch case, extending end wall 28 with an outwardly exthus when thebracelet is pulled tight around the tending nub 29 or shoulder. A curvedfin 38,

note particularly Fig. 4, extends upwardly from the end 28 and joins thesides i3 and Hi on both sides and connecting these curved fiins there isa pintle pin 36 for a link hereunder detailed. It is manifest thereforethat the inner portion of the watch case forms a shallow tray with thebottom wall l2 and the sides 83 and i l forming the main stiffeningelement but on account of the ends 25 and 28 being also connected to thebottom and to the sides, these are also quite stiff so that the lip 25with its tip edge 25 may be considered as comparatively rigid.

The front portion of the case designated by the assembly numeral 40includes side members 4! and 52, the member 42 having a central notch 53to accommodate the winding stem of the watch as hereunder detailed. Thisis aligned to meet the notch 25 and form substantially a circularopening. The inner edge 44 of these sides conforms to the curvature ofthe ledges I and I7 so that the sides 5i and 42 fit snug against suchledges and align with the sides l3 and M, thus forming a continuity ofside surfaces for the watch case when the parts are in their folded orlatched position. At one end of the sides 45 and 42 there is atransverse end plate 45. This has an internal transverse nub 35 andterminates in a lower transverse edge 41, note Figs. 2 and 4. Theopposite end has a shallow depending end piece 58, note Figs. 2 and 4and this has an outwardly extending nub 49 transverse at the end of thefront portion of the watch case.

The glass or crystal 50 for exposing the face of the watch movement maybe mounted and held in any suitable manner to the side walls 4| and 4 2and the ends 45 and 48. In the illustration there are two similarsloping side edge members 5i and two similar end members 52, these beingprovided with the usual rim seat 53 for the edges of the glass orcrystal. These portions 5| and 52 are formed integral with the sides Mand 42 and the ends 45 and 48 stiffen the front or upper portion of thewatch case. At one end of the lower edge of the sides 4| and 42 thereare notches 55 and at the opposite end there is a pintle pin 55 to formthe hinge for the connecting link hereunder detailed. A pair of ears 56similar to the ears 25 extend beyond the end 45 and conform in design tothe ears 25. These have a perforation 57 for a pin similar to theperforations 2? for connecting the chain of the bracelet or band.

A tray 55 for the watch movement has a bottom 6!, two opposite sides 62and 63 and similar ends 64% and 55. These sides and ends preferably havean inwardly turned rim or ledge 66. The side 63 is provided with a deepnotch 61 which also extends through a portion of the ledge 66 toaccommodate in winding stern of the watch. This tray is held in positionby frictional engagement or by clamping the two stiff cross members l5and H in the front part of the case which extend from side to side, thatis, between the sides 4! and 52. There is however a slight longitudinalspace between the sides 62 and 53 of the tray on the outside and thewalls ll and 42 of the front or outer portion of the watch case. Howeverwhen the case is in its closed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, theoutside of the side portions 62 and '53 has a snug and frictional fitwith the sides is and M of the inner portion of the watch casedesignated by the assembly numeral l I.

The pivot and extension link assembly '15 is preferably a flat metallink 76 having an eye Ti at one end engaging the pintle pin 55 forming ahinge at one end and a second eye 18 at the opposite end engaging thepintle pin 3| of the inner portion of the case at its other end. Thislink is of less width than the width of the watch case consideredbetween the sides l3 and M or M and 42 and is preferably symmetricallycentered. This link when the watch case is in the folded or collapsedposition for wearing on the wrist, fits in the inner portion of the caseand substantially contacts the bottom 6| of the tray 65 as shown inFigs. 3 and 4. This link which is in the form of a strap practicallycontacts the convex side of the bottom [2 at about its center, that is,approximately in alignment with the notches 20 and 43 as shown in Fig.3, however it is manifest that if necessary the strap portion of thelink may be curved to conform to the bottom l2 or as above mentioned,this bottom wall of the inner assembly ll may be straight, that is,flat.

Although the movement of the watch is not illustrated, the winding stemassembly 85 has the knurled knob or head 8| and the stem 82. This stemextends through the notch 43 in the side 52, through the notch 20 in theside l4 and also through the deep notch 67 in the side 63 of the tray65, therefore when the watch movement is assembled in the case beingpreferably located in the tray 60, the movement remains in place in theupper or front portion of the watch case when such case is opened forfitting over the hand or removal from the wrist.

Although I do not desire to be limited to the particular type of snapfastener or such construction which holds the two portions of the watchcase in their folded or operative position, it will be seen that the nub29 on the end 28 of the inner assembly engages the nub 56 on the endwall 55 of the front portion of the watch case as shown in Fig. 4. Thenthe link in the form of a strap 16 extends approximately from this nubtowards the opposite end of the front portion of the watch case and apivoting action may be obtained on the end 28 of the inner portion ofthe case and the end 45 of the front portion. When the opposite ends ofthe case are pressed together the end 48 slips inside of the edge 25 ofthe lip 24, the nub 49 springing inwardly and then expanding outwardlydue to its resiliency and thus locks the two portions of the watch casetogether. The notch 54 in the front portion of the case accommodates aspacer sleeve on the pin 3!, there being a spacer sleeve at oppositeends of the eye 78. The notch 22 in the inner portion I I of the caseaccommodates similar pacer sleeves on the pin 55 which conforms in shapeto the eye T0. In the clasping movement the stem 82 slips into the notch20 on the side l4, thus the watch case when in its folded position givesthe neat appearance of Fig. l and may have any desired ornamentation onthe two sides.

Although my present invention does not contemplate any particularinventive features in the bracelet 90, the characteristics of suchbracelet however is that it is inextensible when once adjusted for aparticular persons wrist. In the illustrations, pins 5! extend throughthe cars 26 and 55. There is a spacer sleeve 92 on the pin, as well astwo hubs 93 of a half link 94. Of course it is manifest that any othertype of bracelet or inextensible band may be secured to pins 9! or theequivalent. With my construction both ends of the bracelet or band areattached permanently to the ears of the inner and outer portions of thewatch case and in fitting the watch over the hand or removing the same,

these are not removed but the two portions of 7 the watch case areseparated, the maximum extending being that provided by the link I whenpulled into substantial alignment with the front and inner portions ofthe watch case.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A watch case for bracelet wrist watches including an inner caseportion having an inner wall to contact the wrist and two opposite sidewalls, a front case portion having two side members with the watchmovement mounted therein, an extension link pivoted to the walls of theinner case portion at one end and having its opposite end pivoted to theside members of the front case portion whereby when the two portions arenested together the link has pivoted connections at opposite ends of thecase, each portion of the case having means for attaching the braceletwhereby when the two portions of the case are separated and extendedwith the link, the circumferential distance around the bracelet andthrough the inner portion, the link and the outer portion of the case,is materially increased over the circumferential measurement when thecase is in the nested position, a tray to receive a watch movementmounted in the front portion of the case, the said side walls of theinner portion of the case having a frictional engagement with the traywhen the case is in the nested position, the said link when the case isnested fitting below the said tray.

2. A watch case for bracelet wrist watches including an outer and aninner case portion which when nested form a closed bracelet, said innercase portion having an inner complete wall to contact the Wrist andhaving two opposite side walls, said outer case portion having two sidewalls, an extension link pivoted to the outer case portion and to theinner case portion, means to attach the ends of a bracelet to the innerand outer case portions at the ends respectively opposite theconnections of the extension link, a tray to receive a watch movementmounted in the outer portion of the case, the said side walls of theinner portion of the case having a frictional engagement with the traywhen the case is in the nested position, the said link when the case isnested fitting below the said tray.

3. A watch case for bracelet wrist watches including an inner caseportion having a complete closed inner wall to contact the wrist andhaving two opposite side walls and an upwardly facing lip at one end, anouter case portion having two side walls, having means to mount a watchmovement therein and having a watch glass and a face portion with oneend forming a joint line with said lip, the inner case portion having afirst end with means for attaching a bracelet, the outer case portionhaving a first end with means for attaching a bracelet, both of the caseportions having second ends with an extension link pivotally connectedtherebetween, complementary latches between the first end of each of thecases and the said second end of the other case portion, the said jointline being contiguous to the latch of the first end of the inner caseportion and the second end of the outer case portion and the side wallsof both case portions meeting at a longitudinal joint on each side whenthe two case portions are in their latched position.

4. A watch case for wrist watches including a front and an inner caseportion which when nested and with a bracelet form a closed wrist watchand bracelet, the inner case portion having side walls and a linkconnecting the front and the inner case portions, combined with a trayto receive a watch movement mounted in the front portion of the case,the said side walls of the inner portion of the case having a frictionalengagement with the tray when the case is in the nested position, thesaid link when the case is nested fitting below the said tray.

FRANK S. MOODY.

